She also said data showed an increase in first-home buyers since 2017. That one sentence jumped out: “It just cannot keep increasing at the rate that it is.” But they could – and then some. In the four months ending February 2021, average property values rose by $74,388 according to CoreLogic. It’s fair to say Ardern didn’t specify a time limit. Of course, at some stage, she’ll likely be correct and price increases will slow down. But since she made that comment, access to the exclusive club that is home ownership has got even tougher for a lot of New Zealanders.